TheThe WorldWorld ofof ParliamentsParliaments Quarterly Review of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
May 2006 ● N°21
IN THIS ISSUE IPU APPEALS TO PARLIAMENTS TO HELP SAVE 20
● Page 2 & 3 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA WHO Democracy and the IPU ARE LIVING UNDER THREAT OF STARVATION As the IPU turns 117 years, the Organization is launching three studies dedicated to democracy. With Professor David Beetham he IPU launched an appeal to its 143 Member Parliaments for holding the pen, the first in this trilogy sets Tassistance to Africa. The appeal underscores the gravity of the out the requirements for a democratic plight of more than 20 million people living under the threat of starvation parliament - to be representative, transparent, in Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and the United Republic of Tanzania accountable, accessible and effective - and in the wake of the drought. The IPU, which is holding its 114th Assembly offers a rich selection of good examples of in Nairobi from 7 to 12 May 2006, draws attention to the 3,5 million how parliaments carry out their tasks. The people who are running out of food and water in north-eastern Kenya second is an expanded edition of the 1994 and need emergency assistance. publication Free and Fair Elections written by Professor Guy Goodwin-Gill.
● Page 6 The IPU defends the human rights of members of parliament in Colombia For the past 20 years, the IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians has been seeking to protect members of the Colombian Parliament. The number of cases is increasing, involving members from one political party who have been assassinated, others who have been abducted by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), and others who belong to the opposition and who are being threatened. In this photo, Mrs. Martha de Lizcano, wife of former Congressman Oscar Lizcano, watches a videotape of her husband, sent by the FARC Photo AFP/Stringer on 29 November 2005. Women Speakers make an impact in parliament
welve women Speakers, representing half of the legislatures presided Tover by a woman, met on the occasion of the 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York on 27 February 2006. The meeting was organized by the IPU as a follow- up to the session organized during the Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments in September 2005 in New York. The women Speakers discussed their specific role in furthering gender equality. "Women transform parliaments by being themselves”, said Mrs. Syringa
Photo AFP/JJ Bonilla Marshall-Burnett, Speaker of the Senate of Jamaica. (Follow up on page 4) (Coming from page 1) FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS ARE AT THE HEART OF DEMOCRACY
he study prepared by Professor Goodwin- TGill reviews a decade (1994-2004) of progress in the law and practice of elections around the world. It points out that the elections debate no longer solely concerns States in transition from conflict or from authoritarian forms of government. It is now increasingly relevant to all democratic systems, that are facing the internal challenges of alienation and distrust of the process. The third in the series is a pamphlet offering a panorama of parliamentary elections in 2005. It provides answers to questions such as how many people went to the polls in 2005, in how many countries, and what the results were.
In his study, Professor Goodwin-Gill stated Photo: IPU/A.Richardson that "the issue of representation will be Prof. Guy Goodwin-Gill presenting the expanded edition of the IPU publication Free and fair elections during a press conference at the Geneva United Nations Office. increasingly dominant in the future, not just with regard to free and fair elections but also the very meaning of democracy at ground level. Globalization and technological change have also brought new challenges for the democratic process."
In a press conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Professor Goodwin-Gill underlined that the will of the people is the basis of the authority of government. The question of free and fair elections is very much in the headlines, "whether we are thinking about the situations in Belarus, in Iraq, in the Middle East", said the author of the IPU study. He added that "in the more developed democracies, we are also asking ourselves if our system allows for sufficient representation of all the voices of the multicultural communities that now make up our societies. We often find that the present system of voting, for example, does not precisely provide what we are looking for: a representative government."
Elections are the core of democracy, but in many countries, citizens are increasingly claiming that if an election is to be free and fair, the expression of the will of the people must also be respected. "We are right to be worried about the fake front that might be erected in this or that State with a view to persuading us that indeed all is well. In fact, if we go behind that fake front or behind the semblance of free and fair elections we find that there is nothing there or perhaps something worse than nothing", declared Professor Goodwin-Gill.
Parliamentary elections in 2005 lose to 330,000 people cast their vote in parliamentary elections in C39 countries in 2005. As a result, 7,845 persons were elected to parliament, and one of every five was a woman. Generally, voter turnout was high, although countries like Egypt, Venezuela and Zimbabwe reported very low participation. In most countries, the government was returned to power, although in seven this was not the case. In one country - Mauritania - parliament was dissolved unconstitutionally. These are some of the facts presented in a new IPU publication entitled "Panorama of parliamentary elections in 2005". The study examines parliamentary elections from the perspective of the IPU criteria for free and fair elections.
2 The World of Parliaments - May 2006 Editorial Democracy and the IPU
he general debate of the 114th IPU Assembly in Nairobi will unfold under Tthe theme of promoting democracy and helping to build democratic institutions. This comes at a timely moment. Recently, the IPU has undertaken a host of activities which broadly seek to promote democracy. At the Assembly in Nairobi, the IPU President, Pier Ferdinando Casini, will present a new IPU guide on democratic parliaments. The publication is the outcome of a two year project in which parliaments have provided insights and suggestions of good examples on what constitutes a democratic parliament. The guide offers a template of the five core objectives of a democratic parliament - to be representative, transparent, accountable, accessible and effective. It also offers illuminating insights into the new
Drawing by Aloys frontier of parliaments - how best to be effective in the international arena. The publication of the guide follows close on the heels on several other "democracy" products elaborated by the IPU. One of them is the new edition of free and fair elections; a review of development in law and practice over the last ten years since the IPU initially set down the first international principles and criteria of free and fair elections. Another is a synopsis of elections - the fundamental building block of democracies - that took place in 2005. The report draws attention to trends for participation in elections, outcomes, and challenges facing States in overcoming shortcomings in the electoral processes. These publications are complemented with the draft guidelines prepared by the United Nations in collaboration with several partners and, most prominently, the IPU, on the role of parliaments in reconciliation processes. Based on the experience of parliaments such as those of Burundi, Rwanda and Timor Leste, the guidelines offer convincing arguments about why the international community must pay much better attention to the needs of parliaments in countries moving from conflict towards peace, and offer many examples of how parliaments can and do contribute to peace. Of course, convincing though they are, these standard setting documents must also be accompanied by political will. It is not enough to declare an electoral process to be free and fair. It is also necessary to respect the result, however politically uncomfortable it may turn out to be. Democracy and free and fair elections also require the international community to behave in a democratic manner and - in short - to be free and fair. ABJ
…READ IN THE PRESS…
Elections are often a fake front established. It's very hard for us to make a hard and fast The organization of elections in many countries is often a judgement on the freeness and fairness of those elections," front for democracy, according to the IPU. From Belarus to said Anders Johnsson, Secretary General of the grouping of Iraq, there is no shortage of examples of situations where 143 parliaments. "But I think enough has been reported in genuinely democratic conditions are not met. "If there is not the media to cast a serious shadow of doubt on the freeness an active civil society, if minimum security cannot be and fairness of the elections in Belarus". "Clearly the guaranteed in a country, if there is no rule of law, the holding Belarussian authorities will have to revisit how they are of elections is but a smoke screen", said Professor Guy organizing these elections and to see what should be Goodwin-Gill, at the presentation of his study on Free and changed," he told reporters. Belarus's Parliament is part of Fair Elections, a 233-page volume published by the IPU. the IPU. Johnsson's comments came during the launch of a Le Téléjournal en continu - TSR - ATS (Switzerland) 24 March 2006 revised IPU manual on Free and Fair Elections, which lays out benchmarks that are often used by international monitors Belarus needs to review elections: parliamentary chief to assess elections. "It's an issue very much in the headlines Authorities in Belarus need to review the conduct of last today, whether we are thinking about the situations in Belarus, weekend's controversial elections which returned President in Iraq, in the Middle East," said author Guy Goodwin-Gill, Alexander Lukashenko to power, the head of the International a professor at Oxford University. Parliamentary Union said on Friday. "The facts are still being Agence France Presse (AFP) - 24 March 2006
The World of Parliaments - May 2006 3 (Coming from page 1) WOMEN IN POLITICS Women Speakers: how they are making an impact Photo IPU/A.Motter
From left to right: Mrs. Colleen Lowe-Morna, Executive Director of Gender Links (South Africa), Mrs. Drude Dahlerup, University of Stockholm (Sweden), Mrs. Syringa Marshall- Burnett, President of the Senate of Jamaica; Mrs. Barbara Prammer, Deputy Speaker of the Nationalrat of Austria; Mrs. Ingrida Udre, Speaker of the Saemia of Latvia and Chair of the Meeting of Women Speakers of Parliament; Mrs. Jozefina Topali, Speaker of the Parliament of Albania; Hon. Mtholi Motsamai, Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho; Mrs. Margareth Mensah-Williams, Vice-President of the IPU Executive Committee and Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of Namibia; Mrs. Solveig Petursdottir, President of the Althingi of Iceland; Mrs. Immaculée Nahayo, Speaker of the National Assembly of Burundi; and Mrs. Sharon Wilson, President of the Senate of Bahamas.
uring the meeting entitled Gender Equality on the Legislative …READ IN THE PRESS… DAgenda: The role of women presiding over parliament, the Speaker of the Senate of Jamaica and her colleagues stressed that women’s active Women politicians "making participation in legislation, as parliamentarians, is vital to the articulation gains" of women’s issues. Women, they added, have to be in parliament and A record number of women are talk about the problems they encounter in areas as diverse as poverty, serving in parliaments world- economic empowerment, health and population, violence, democracy wide, but they only account for and human rights. just over 16% of all MPs. Women have made progress in elections, The Speakers said that the changes brought by women parliamentarians but "true equality of status" is a to the institution of parliament operated on different levels. Women are long way off, says a report by the instrumental in transforming the actual physical premises of Parliament Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). to make them more gender- friendly and better adapted to the needs of IPU chief Anders Johnsson said working women with families (for instance, requesting facilities such as women were "dramatically day-care centers, toilets, gyms, etc). They bring about changes in the under-represented". Women fared institutional culture, using their influence to apply working methods and best in Rwanda, Norway and procedures to make parliaments better adapted to women members Sweden, but there are no women (meeting times etc). MPs in nine countries, including Women change the institutional discourse to attune it more to their values. Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan. On This often entails changes in language and vocabulary that had originated average, women made up about in traditional patriarchal thinking. Finally, according to the Speakers present 20% of the deputies elected in the in New York, women influence the legislative agenda to ensure that issues 39 countries which held parlia- of particular importance to women are given a place in the debate. mentary elections last year, the IPU reports. It is a fact that women Speakers of parliament can be potential role models. BBC News - 28 February They can also wield influence outside the parliament because their position 2006 gives them the opportunity to voice their opinions in other fora.
4 The World of Parliaments - May 2006 WOMEN IN POLITICS Gender equality must IPU Yearly Analysis on Women in Politics One out of five parliamentarians elected in be promoted 2005 is a woman his year's annual parliamentary meeting Tat the CSW, jointly organized in New n total, 20% of legislators York by the United Nations Division for the Ielected in single or lower Advancement of Women and the IPU, chambers in 2005 were brought together 150 parliamentarians from women, according to statistics all regions of the world. It provided an published by the IPU to mark opportunity to discuss parliamentary International Women's Day. By mechanisms to promote gender equality the end of 2005, an average within the institution of parliament. What of 16.3% of the upper and is needed is "gender equality beyond lower houses of parliament figures", said Mrs. Britt Bohlin Ohlsson, were women, up from 15.7% Member of the Swedish Parliament. in December 2004. This Particular attention was paid to the role of trend confirms the sustained parliamentary committees and bodies progress made since 1995, dealing with gender equality. The IPU when the proportion of women released a provisional directory of these in parliament stood at 11.3% bodies. To date, some 60 parliaments have A higher ratio of women reported the existence of a specific body to parliamentarians was regis- address gender equality. Such committees tered in 28 of the 39 are important in defending women’s rights parliaments that held elections in 2005 (72 per cent). Significantly, and promoting gender issues. Emphasis was in nine countries, more than 30 per cent of those elected or returned placed on the need to ensure cooperation to parliament were women. Norway topped the ranks in 2005. Some between these committees and other bodies, 37.9 per cent of those elected in Norway were women, placing it in within and outside the parliament, and on third position behind Rwanda and Sweden in the global ranking. the importance of facilitating contact (See table on the IPU web site: http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/ between them, which is an area in which the classif.htmand and analysis: IPU intends to do more work. http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/women06).
Parliamentarians commit to child protection in the Asia-Pacific region Exploitation, violence, prostitution, trafficking: every year, millions of children throughout the world suffer abuse. With a view to addressing these issues and developing a protective framework for children, members of parliament from 13 Asia-Pacific countries met in Viet Nam in February 2006 for a regional seminar hosted by the National Assembly and organized jointly by the IPU and UNICEF. During the three-day meeting, participants discussed parliamentary mechanisms, and more particularly the role of parliamentary committees in protecting children. Attention also focused on two specific themes of particular regional relevance: trafficking of children and violence against children. There was agreement on the need for international legal instruments on children along with the proper enforcement of adequate legislation. Regional parliamentary cooperation to ensure complementarity of action and harmonization of legislation was also highlighted, as was the need to develop specific mechanisms to address child protection issues within parliament. Participants met with Minister Le Thi Thu, who is also Chairwoman of the Committee on Population, Family
and Children of Viet Nam, before visiting the Hoa Binh children's Photo National Assembly of Vietnam Indonesian Member of Parliament visiting children in village, which looks after disabled children and children in need. Hoa Binh
The World of Parliaments - May 2006 5 HUMAN RIGHTS OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IPU defends the human rights of members of parliament in Colombia
he IPU Committee on the Human Rights of TParliamentarians was established in 1976. For the past 20 years, it has had to deal continuously with cases concerning members of the Colombian Parliament. The number of cases is on the rise. Between 1986 and 2004, a series of cases concerning parliamentarians belonging to the Patriotic Union (Unión Patriótica - UP) party were referred to the Committee. This party was established in 1985 by the FARC, the main Colombian guerrilla group, in the course of the peace negotiations held with the Government of Belisario Betancur which aimed at its integration into national Photo AFP/JJ Bonilla Of the six Colombian Congressmen whose release the IPU Committee is working for, politics. However, virtually all UP leaders and many of Oscar Lizcano, kidnapped by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), is its members were assassinated or forced into exile, to the the longest-held. extent that the Inter-American Commission on Human a plot to kill several opposition parliamentarians, but Rights has accepted to examine this situation as a case investigations have not gone beyond the preliminary of political genocide. The IPU Committee has looked at stage. the murder of six parliamentarians belonging to the UP. Only in two of these cases, those of Mr. Jaramillo Ossa, While these cases are not in the international spotlight, a candidate in the 1990 presidential elections, and Senator the fate of kidnapped persons has drawn much Manuel Cepeda Vargas, were the murderers caught and international attention, especially after the FARC convicted. kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt, a candidate in the presidential elections of May 2002. The FARC are Former paramilitary leaders Fidel and Carlos Castaño currently holding six members of parliament who were were found guilty of Mr. Jaramillo's murder and, in kidnapped between August 2000 and February 2002. November 2001, sentenced respectively to 18 and 20 years in prison. In December 1999, two military officers The health of some of the hostages is said to have were found guilty of Senator Cepeda's murder in August seriously deteriorated in captivity. Several attempts have 1994 and were sentenced to 43 years imprisonment, been made to conclude a humanitarian agreement; all which they are currently serving. Carlos Castaño, who have failed so far. While recalling that the FARC has a was charged with masterminding this murder, was duty under international humanitarian law to release acquitted despite the fact that he had publicly admitted immediately, unconditionally and unilaterally all hostages, to ordering the crime. Mr. Castaño has remained free the IPU, through its Human Rights Committee and despite his conviction in the Jaramillo case and the many Governing Council, has consistently called on the parties arrests warrants pending against him in other cases for concerned to conclude a humanitarian agreement, which kidnapping Senator Piedad Cordoba in May 1999. He it considers an essential step towards the achievement of disappeared in April 2004. lasting peace. It has pointed to the fact that the Government has accepted to negotiate with paramilitary Some suggest that Mr. Castaño was killed by rival groups, groups, and started a process of demobilization and social while others claim that he is still in hiding, but his fate reintegration. The IPU believes that the Colombian and whereabouts have so far not been officially Congress has an important role to play in promoting a established. The Committee has requested information humanitarian agreement, and has consistently called on about any investigations into the facts, so far in vain. the institution to make every effort to do so. Opposition parliamentarians in Colombia continue to be A new Congress was elected in March 2006. The targeted and risk their lives. In July 2002, Congressman Committee will certainly continue to urge it not only to Petro Urrego disclosed both plans to kill him and links work towards the conclusion of a humanitarian between paramilitary groups and the Attorney-General's agreement, but also to take the necessary steps to ensure office. Most recently, "Operation Dragon" was discovered, that the members of the political opposition can carry
6 The World of Parliaments - May 2006 IPU AND ASGP COOPERATION "IPU regards Secretaries General as valuable counterparts"
nders Forsberg, the new President of the Association …READ IN THE PRESS… Aof Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP), visited the IPU Headquarters in April 2006, accompanied Conference: Parliaments are essential by Frédéric Slama and Roger Philips, the Co-Secretaries to halt crisis of the ASGP. "It is important that the Secretaries General How to bolster donor support for parliaments in be more involved during the IPU Assemblies so that we conflict states is the focus of an international can keep abreast of the development of the IPU, especially conference which opened in Brussels now that the IPU is developing its cooperation with the Wednesday evening. "The parliaments play a United Nations and the WTO", said Mr. Forsberg. tremendous important role in conflict preven- tion in countries in the world, in particular frag- The ASGP President also mentioned the IPU seminars ile states which face crisis", Belgian minister on specific political topics, which are of great interest to for development and cooperation, Armand De many parliaments and also their Secretaries General. "We Decker, told a news briefing ahead of the inau- have fruitful cooperation with the IPU and I find it very gural session of the conference. About 80 par- important to strengthen it, for instance by supporting the liamentarians, donors and experts from coun- emerging democracies in different parts of the world. The tries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and IPU is asking for specialists or officials from our the Democratic Republic of Conco (RDC) are parliaments and I look forward to deepening the participating in the two-day event organized by cooperation between our two institutions in that field and the Belgian government and Parliament and the others. At our meeting in Nairobi, we will present United Nations Development Programme interesting projects in this area." (UNDP), in association with the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU)."Parliaments, crisis Mr. Forsberg also underlined the importance of developing prevention and recovery" is the theme of the the IPU and the ASGP web sites. "Moreover, we are conference. De Decker said that the role of par- expecting to take part in the discussions about the liaments is underestimated and called on the development of the IPU and we have had talks with the parliaments to promote good governance, sus- European Broadcasting Union (EBU - Eurovision), the tainable development policies and parliamen- largest professional association of national broadcasters tary diplomacy. in the world, which has 74 active Members in 54 countries IRNA (Islamic Republic of Iran News in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and 48 Agency) - 19 April 2005 associate Members in 28 countries".
In the near future, the IPU, the ASGP and the Recent IPU publications EBU plan to hold a seminar on how to INFORMATION BROCHURE better inform people Working with communications consultants about parliament's Saatchi & Saatchi, the Inter-Parliamentary activities, especially Union has recently issued a new through the television information brochure in English, French, channels. "I have the Spanish and Arabic. This publication is impression that the IPU regards the designed to upgrade the image of the Secretaries General as organization of the world's parliaments. valuable counterpart in The new brochure showcases the dealing with this and dynamism and diversity of the we will do what we organization's work, and highlights the can to take part in this unique niche occupied by the IPU among process", concluded international political organizations. the ASGP President.
The World of Parliaments - May 2006 7 TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION UPDATE 1
Equatorial Guinea: Sensitization and capacity-building The IPU recently launched a training programme for ten staff members of the House of People's Representatives (CRP). This two-year programme is focussing on techniques for the recording of parliamentary proceedings and the production of reports. To complement this training, stenotype machines and computers have been delivered to the CRP. Recording parliamentary proceeding has been recognised as an important tool not only for preserving institutional memory but also for making available information on the parliament's work and
promoting transparency. The project is funded by the Photo IPU/L.Ballin European Commission. The President of the Senate of Burundi, Mr. Gervais Rufyikiri, paid an official visit to Afghanistan: the House of Parliaments in April 2006 to discuss cooperation between the IPU and the parliament of Burundi and, more specifically, a project being designed by the IPU preparing the future National Assembly to strengthen the parliament of Burundi over the coming years and examine the role Working together to build the capacities of the new it must assume in the country's reconciliation process. New Parliament building in parliament in Afghanistan, the IPU and the United Bata. Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have over Belgium, France, the USA and the Arab world. The the past months continued to organise activities in IPU handbook on "Parliament, the Budget and Gender" support of the newly elected members and the was made available as background documentation. parliamentary staff. Advisory support on the recording of parliamentary proceedings and the workings of a Exploratory Missions in Africa and Latin multilingual parliament, which began in December 2005, America resumed in 2006 with a consultant from the Belgian At the request of parliamentary authorities in Burundi parliament making a further two trips to Kabul. The and the Republic of Congo, the IPU fielded exploratory IPU helped organise a series of seminars during March missions to Bujumbura, in February 2006, and to and April 2006 on issues ranging from globalisation to Brazzaville in April 2006. These missions undertook legislative-executive relations, targeting members of an exhaustive assessment of the functioning of the the Meshrano Jirga. A similar set of seminars will be parliaments in these countries and identified their needs organised later in 2006 for the members of Wolesi Jirga. and proposed solutions. The recommendations made Additional activities foreseen in the coming months by the mission teams are being written up as programmes include a capacity building programme for the Speaker of action that will be used to mobilise resources from of the Wolesi Jirga; a consultancy mission to review the the donor community in a bid to assist the authorities committee system and provide advice on its organisation; of the parliaments concerned in tackling the constraints and study visits for members of the National Assembly. that undermine efficiency. An exploratory mission is Algeria also foreseen to the Parliament of Ecuador in May 2006. Promoting parliament's effective Continued support for the Parliament of involvement in the national budget Uruguay process The IPU, UNDP and the UN OHCHR are working In March 2006, the IPU co-operated with the United closely to design the third phase of their initial project Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in organising to support the parliament. This new phase will cover a three-day seminar for Algerian parliamentarians and the period from 2006 -2008 and will continue to focus parliamentary staff on the budgetary process. During on more active involvement of civil society in the work the seminar, experts led discussion on issues relating to of parliament, including through the promotion and the preparation, execution and parliamentary oversight defence of human rights. The original project began in of the budget with a focus on prioritization of national August 2003 and initially addressed the constitutional activities and the participation of civil society in the functions of the parliament, especially its oversight budgetary process. The seminar was an opportunity to function. It also helped to strengthen the parliament's compare Algerian practice with those of parliaments in administrative and human resources capacities.
1 The Union's Technical Cooperation Programme provides assistance to parliaments worldwide, strengthening their capacity to perform their functions more efficiently .
8 The World of Parliaments - May 2006 Parliamentary developments AFGHANISTAN confirmation of the results of the 18 December 2005 constitutional referendum. The draft On 19 December 2005, the National Assembly constitution, adopted by the transitional held its first session after being suspended for parliament in May 2005, was approved by 84.3 many years. The first parliamentary elections per cent of voters registered in the referendum. since 1988 took place on 18 September 2005 for Its adoption paves the way for elections the 249-member House of the People (Wolesi scheduled for June 2006. Jirga). Final results were announced on 14 November 2005, and on the same day, the Under the new Constitution, Parliament and the newly-elected Provincial Councils met to elect President are to be elected for a five-year term. representatives to the House of Elders (Meshrano The statutory number of members of the new Jirga). The House of Elders currently consists of bicameral Parliament is the same as for the 68 representatives from the Provincial Councils current transitional parliament (500 members (34 permanent members and 34 transitional for the National Assembly and 120 members for members who will serve until the District the Senate). Members of the National Assembly Councils are elected, and who can choose their will be directly elected by universal suffrage, own representatives), as well as 34 members while senators will be indirectly elected by appointed by the President on 11 December 2005. provincial assemblies. The President, who can serve a maximum of two five-year terms, appoints the prime minister from the largest party BHUTAN in parliament. On 21 February 2006, the On 19 December 2005, King Jigme Jigme transitional parliament passed a bill giving the Singye Wangchuck announced that a century of Independent Electoral Commission 110 days to absolute monarchy would come to an end. The organize elections from the moment President country's first national parliamentary elections Joseph Kabila signs the document, which then are scheduled to take place in 2008. The draft becomes law. On 10 March 2006, President constitution provides for a bicameral parliament: Kabila promulgated the new electoral law, a 75-member national assembly, and a 25- setting 18 June 2006 as the date of the first member national council. The new Constitution, election in the country's 46-year history as an presented by the King in March 2005, is still to independent nation. be ratified by referendum. Following advice from his astrologers, the King postponed the constitutional referendum to 2008. Meanwhile, IRAQ the office of the chief election commissioner Following the approval of a new Constitution was officially established on 16 January 2006. by referendum in October 2005, elections for a parliament composed of 275 members were held The King also announced that he would be on 15 December 2005. Despite continuing abdicating his throne, indicating that Crown violence, turnout was high, with 79.63% of Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk would registered voters taking part in the elections. be crowned as the new king before the This marked a sharp increase from the 58.32 per constitution was adopted. cent turnout in the January 2005 elections. Final results gave the mainly Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition a total of 128 seats. The two main DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF Sunni parties (Tawafoq Iraqi Front and Hewar CONGO National Iraqi Front) won a total of 55 seats, A new Constitution was officially adopted on followed by the Kurdistan Gathering with 53 18 February 2006 following the Supreme Court seats. After numerous postponements since mid-
The World of Parliaments - May 2006 9 February 2006, the new Parliament held its first LIBERIA session on 16 March 2006. However, the session Following parliamentary elections on was adjourned indefinitely after 30 minutes since 11 October 2005 in parallel with presidential it had not yet elected a new Speaker. The elections, the new Parliament held its first Parliament will elect the country’s new session on 13 January 2006. As provided for President. The formation of a new government in the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, will officially end the political transition in Iraq. the new Parliament is composed of a 64- member House of Representatives, elected for six years, and a 30-member Senate, with ITALY members serving six or nine-year terms. Three On 21 December 2005, President Ciampi days later, Ms. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn countersigned the new electoral law that would in as President, becoming the country's first be applied to the elections scheduled for 9 and elected female Head of State. A 14-year civil 10 April 2006. The electoral law re-introduces war ended in 2003. the full proportional representation system for 617 of 630 seats in 26 constituencies, while the first-past-post system is used in the single- SOMALIA member constituency in Valle d'Aosta, On 26 February 2006, the Somali Transitional an autonomous region. Based on Law Federal Parliament (TFP) met for the first time No. 459/2001 and its enabling regulation on Somali soil in the town of Baidoa. The (Presidential Decree No. 104 of 2003), a further session was attended by 205 of the 275 members 12 Deputies (as well as six senators) are elected of the TFP. The unicameral TFP had met in from the Constituency for Italians Abroad Nairobi until June 2005. (Circonscrizione Estero), divided into four geographical groups: a) Europe; b) South Disagreements between the government and America; c) Northern and Central America; and parliament on the location of the new parliament d) Africa, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica. and the deployment of foreign troops continued to hamper the transitional process. Under The new electoral law introduces various pressure from international donors, President minimum thresholds for the formation of a Abdullahi Yusuf and Speaker Sharif Hassan political coalition (10% for the Chamber, 20% Sheikh Aden met in Yemen on 5 January 2006, for the Senate) or for a political party (4% for and agreed to convene the Parliament in Somalia the Chamber, 3% for the Senate) to be entitled within 30 days. Baidoa, which is 240 km to win seats. In cases where a political coalition southwest of the capital Mogadishu, was later or a political party with the largest number of chosen as its venue. votes fails to win 340 seats, a winning coalition or party will be given “bonus” seats to reach the required 340 seats. Prime Minister Silvio SWAZILAND Berlusconi, who had proposed the reforms, On 8 February 2006, a new Constitution came insisted the new system would offer more into effect in Swaziland (see Issue N°19, accurate representation in parliament, while November 2005). The new Constitution includes opponents of the reform argued that it would a bill of rights on freedom of assembly. bring political instability with the development However, uncertainty remains over the status of of several small parties. the 1973 decree banning organized political The old proportional representation system had groups. While some eminent national scholars been replaced in 1993 by a mixed voting system have argued that the new law supersedes old whereby 75 per cent of seats in each chamber laws, others have pointed out that the were filled from constituencies and 25 per cent Constitution was deliberately ambiguous on the by a proportional representation system. issue.
10 The World of Parliaments - May 2006 UKRAINE Recent IPU publications On 1 January 2006, constitutional ANNUAL REPORT OF THE amendments aimed at significantly increasing parliament’s powers came into SECRETARY GENERAL force. Under the amended Constitution, parliament's term has been extended from A backward glance over 2005 shows a hectic four to five years, and the parliamentary year in which events followed one another in majority will nominate a prime minister as rapid succession. In fact, the Inter-Parliamentary head of the executive branch. The prime Union has never undertaken so many activities minister will then nominate members of the in a single year. The focus in IPU's work in recent cabinet, who will have to be approved by years has been on promoting democracy. 2005 parliament. Previously, only the president was no exception. Traditional activities continued was empowered to appoint ministers. unabated: there were four needs and review missions to different parliaments, eight projects The law on the election of people’s deputies to strengthen parliaments and four new of Ukraine, passed in March 2004, came parliamentary handbooks. 2005 got off to a rapid into force on 1 October 2005. It provided start with the Organization present in the Middle that all 450 members of Parliament would East for the election of a new President of the be elected according to the proportional Palestinian Authority and, immediately thereafter, representation system. Under the previous observing the out-of-country voting for the Iraqi mixed system, 225 members were elected Transitional Assembly. The pace of events from single-member constituencies and the continued unabated and by the time the year remaining 225 seats were filled using a came to a close, the IPU had organized twenty- proportional system. one meetings attended by over 4,000 members of parliament, an all time record. …READ IN THE PRESS… Chinese version of UN Guide to Refugee Law launched in Beijing The Chinese version of a handbook on refugee protection, A Guide to International Refugee Law, was launched in Beijing. Visiting UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Lu Congmin attended the launching ceremo- ny. The book, jointly compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and the Inter- Parliamentary Union in 2001, aims at help- ing members of parliament and govern- mental officials to become more familiar with the general principles of international refugee law. The book has been translated into 34 languages, making it the most widely translated UNHCR publication. Xinhua News Agency (China) - 22 March 2006
The World of Parliaments - May 2006 11 Contacts : The IPU analysis Women in Inter-Parliamentary Union Parliament 2005: a year in The House of Parliaments perspective, presented in March 5, chemin du Pommier 2006 on the occasion of the P.O. Box 330 International Women's Day was CH - 1218 Le Grand Saconnex quoted by some 200 media Geneva - Switzerland worldwide. A non-exhaustive list Phone (0041.22) 919.41.16./27 Fax (0041.22) 919.41.60 of the global coverage it received e-mail: is presented in this scrapbook. [email protected]
Office of the Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York Inter-Parliamentary Union Room 3002, 220 East 42nd Street New York, N.Y. 10017 United States of America Phone (001) 212.557.58.80 …READ IN THE PRESS… Fax (001) 212.557.39.54 e-mail: Three years of famine [email protected] Three years of drought, and consequently, famine, have placed virtually all the countries of the Horn of Africa in a precarious situation. Some 20 million nomads and herders in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea and Tanzania are on the The World of Parliaments, verge of starvation after seeing their camels, goats and zebus die. The United Nations IPU Quarterly Review is has appealed to wealthy countries to donate 350 million Euros to curb this imminent an official publication of disaster. This amount can save only 8 million of the 20 million persons whose lives the Inter-Parliamentary are in jeopardy…Anders Johnsson, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Union (IPU) - with a membership of 143 parliaments from across the world - has called on its Members, from Geneva, to pressure their governments. "We are making Editor in Chief: Luisa Ballin an appeal for a humanitarian and a political gesture, because people are dying due to lack of aid", he said. On 5 May, the IPU will be holding its annual Assembly in Assisted by: Nairobi, Kenya, which some 1,500 delegates are expected to attend. In Kenya alone Stara Ahmidouche Mohamed Amani 5 million persons have been affected by the famine according to President Mwai Nora Babic Kibaki. Catherine Blondelle El Periódico (Spain) - 8 April 2006 Martin Chungong Isabelle Décarroux Every 15 seconds, a girl suffers genital mutilation, says the IPU Anda Filip To mark the fourth International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation, Rogier Huizenga over 40,000 parliamentarians pledged to take political action in consultation with Kareen Jabre all …in society in order to inform the electorate about the damage caused by the James Jennings indefensible practice of female excision, inflicted on a girl every 15 seconds, according Alessandro Motter to the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Pier Ferdinando Casini. George Opacensky La Jornada (Mexico) - 7 February 2006 Andy Richardson Ingeborg Schwarz Inter-Parliamentary Union committed against female mutilation Valeria Sistek The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) expressed the commitment of its Jill Toedtli 40,000 members of parliament to combat female genital mutilation, which between Alain Valtat 100 million and 140 million women have already endured. The Organization's Hiroko Yamaguchi President, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, declared that parliamentarians across the Web site: world "are determined to take action along with traditional and religious leaders, Pieyre Castelier government agencies and civil society organizations to do away with this practice Serguei Tchelnokov as son as possible". Printed at Sadag SA - France EFE (Spain) - 3 February 2006 © IPU
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